The New York State Department of Labor’s Fast Food Wage Board yesterday recommended raising the wage of employees of fast food chains to $15 by July 2021 — and by Dec. 31, 2018 in New York City, to account for its higher cost of living.

The term “fast food chain” was defined to include fast food establishments that are part of chains with 30 or more locations nationally, and the increase would be phased incrementally.

For New York City, the board found the minimum wage should increase to $10.50 on Dec. 31, 2015; $12.00 on Dec. 31, 2016; $13.50 on Dec. 31, 2017; and $15.00 on Dec.31, 2018. 

For the rest of the state, the board found minimum wage should increase to $9.75 on Dec; 31, 2015, and one dollar each year thereafter until reaching $14.50 on Dec. 31, 2020 and then $15.00 on July 1, 2021.

“This is not the ending; it is just the beginning because we will not stop until we reach true economic justice and we raise the minimum wage for every worker in every job in this state,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a rally in New York City following the vote to recommend the increase.

The board is scheduled to meet on Monday to approve its report.

“It will likely put pressure on employers in other industries to raise wages in order to compete for workers,” The New York Times quoted Irene Tung, a policy researcher for the National Employment Law Project, as saying. “It would be very attractive for somebody working at the Gap, making around $9 an hour, to look across the street and see Chipotle paying $2 or $3 or $4 more and decide that they would rather work at Chipotle,” she said, referring to the fast-food burrito chain.